Everything We Registered for and Bought for Baby

As a first time parent, I think it’s safe to say that it’s both fun and seriously overwhelming trying to pin down everything you’ll need and want for your baby. A crib, car seat, and stroller are essentials of course, but then you wonder, what brand and style for each? You can drive yourself insane researching the products that are rated the safest, most durable, and most beloved by other parents (ahem, speaking from experience). You find out the craziest things, too, like the fact that you really should buy two car seats—one that functions as a carrier for your baby as a newborn and one for your baby once they surpass 30 or so pounds. With each and every item—from diapers to diaper bags—you quickly learn that there are always pros and cons, a crowd of folks who swear it changed their lives and others who will tell you firsthand what an overpriced waste it is (yep, we spent a fortune on a Snoo Smart Sleeper).

There’s a lot to learn with your first, but it’s not all steep learning curves and overwhelming choices. It’s exciting and rewarding and sweet, too. I have absolutely loved browsing teeny tiny clothing and snuggly blankets and spending hours on Consumer Reports debating high chairs with myself. I’ve fully enjoyed switching up my reading from mysteries and memoirs to ones on child development and child-rearing.

All this to say, I’ve spent countless hours in the last 32 weeks of pregnancy researching every last precious item on our registry and choosing all the things we decided to buy for our baby boy. Below is our list of favorites and essentials for now :)

I had my first baby last September, and you’re so right, picking out baby items was fun and overwhelming! From my experience as a first time mom, these are the products I really loved.

Copper Pearl – The swaddle blankets were easier for me to manage and make a tighter “baby burrito” than the muslin blankets. They are also really soft. The burp cloths are really nice and absorbent with a design meant to be thrown over the shoulder. I also love, love, love the bandana bibs when the drool stage starts. https://www.copperpearl.com/

The Baby Shusher worked really well for us when nothing seemed to soothe our little guy and we couldn’t shush for an indefinite amount of time. It’s also nice because it’s portable. I’ve used it in the car many times. https://babyshusher.com/

These are splurge items for me, but I really love the sleepers from Magnetic Me. There is nothing like a middle of the night change to make you appreciate the ease of these sleepers. The material is soft and breathable and the magnetic connection is awesome. The material is also pretty stretchy, so it lasts longer than other sleepers I’ve had. https://magneticme.com/

A Moby wrap was a lifesaver for during the early months when my son wanted to be held/cozy, but I still had to get up and do things. It was used DAILY on my maternity leave.

Congratulations! Please let us know how you like the SNOO – if it’s a miracle product or not worth the $$$.

I know it will be a little ways off for you, however, with my babies when they began teething, the diaper rash was AWFUL! So, I tried Desitin (HATE that stuff!! Could not get it off once it was on). So, I wound up buying “Udder Balm”. It worked wonders for the diaper rash. Could clean off easily. Had a nice smell (they have unscented as well). Worked like a charm!

So I had a boppy (great for positioning a baby, not so great for breastfeeding). The lactation consultant took one look at me continuously wrestling that thing and brought me a my breast friend pillow. Which securely clips around your waist and helps you support baby. Sooo.. if you have a friend with one you might want to try both out hands free while wrestling a borrowed kiddo and see which one you like better. Remember you don’t get an extra hand to hold the pillow in place. Otherwise what you have looks great!

I second the my Brest friend pillow for breast feeding. And Burt’s bees baby burp cloths are the best!!!! We couldn’t live without Sophie la girafe. The Velcro sleep sacks are awesome and stay snug better than a Muslim blanket. But we use the blankets for tons of things. Our baby was born in the middle of winter and in a terrible flu season, so we loved our milk snob 5-in-1 cover.

IF and when you might have to switch to “Baby Formula” There is a can’t do without solution, “Baby Brezza Formula Pro Formula Dispenser ” can get it at Bed Bath & Beyond…… measures formula 3 settings , heats water to perfect temperature puts both in your baby’s bottle, give it a shake and no fuss no muss, quick especially in the middle of the night feeding.

Earth mama nipple butter for those first few weeks of nursing is a life saver! And we got the baby shusher this time and love it. Seems ridiculous but when you’ve said “shhhhh” for the millionth time you start getting lightheaded

I also switched from the solly wrap to a wild bird ring sling for Emmy and I LOVE it for baby wearing.

But whatever stuff you get, just remember you will be an amazing mama and make it all work no matter what ❤️

We couldn’t have made it without our MamaRoo! My (now 5-year-old!) took all her naps in that (unless we were out for a walk, then she snoozed in the stroller) in that until she was 4 months old and I went back to work. That Snoo Sleeper looks fantastic! I’m a fairly frugal person but my thought is, you can’t put a price on good sleep for the whole family.

My one “regret” is that I didn’t have the support/knowledge about breastfeeding to be successful. My mother and MIL both formula fed, and I was the first in my friend group to have a baby. I had a really hard time knowing what to do, and by the time I started to figure it out it was a little too late. I only made it about 5 weeks total, and even after meeting with a couple of lactation consultants right away my supply was just too low. We formula supplemented that whole time and then by the 6 week mark went all formula. So my only advice here (and I am sure you have received WAY more than you want right now, Andie, so my apologies) is that IF you decide to breastfeed (and that is your choice) that you take advantage of those lactation consultants/nurses. They are there and want to help you! Just let them :-)